Orgyen Dorje Den invites you to join us for a historic Dharma event. At the request of Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche, Yangthang Rinpoche will bestow the transmissions of The Rinchen Terzod.

The Rinchen Terzod, the Treasury of Precious Termas, was compiled by Jamgon Kongtrul the Great with the blessings of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Chogyur Lingpa. The precious collection includes many of the major termas that had been discovered before 1889 and is quite extensive. It will take 3 months to confer the entire cycle of hundreds of empowerments.

Venerable Yangthang Rinpoche is an emanation of the great Vimalamitra and the immediate re-incarnation of the Terton Dorje Dechen Lingpa. Rinpoche is a main lineage holder in the Nyingma Tradition and one of the most highly respected Buddhist teachers in the world today.

I have heard it's also because lama's visa problem.When a government has such a big, uncontrolled power to undirectly stop a dharma event happen, probably it's also a good idea to find someone powerful to make a phone call. (if they know any)

I am from Taiwan. some lamas have big difficulties to get in Taiwan due to fake lama issue. Even Rinpoche can come, their lamas sometimes can't.

But the Speaker of our Parliament has faith to Penor Rinpoche; once people wanted to invite Yangthang Rinpoche to hold a big event and they asked the Speaker to help.

He asked: 'who's yangthang rinpoche?' they answered: 'a lama who once gave Penor Rinpoche empowerments.'

Then the Speaker appeared in the event himself, holded Rinpoche's hand, brought our current president to there too. You can imagine there can't be any visa problem anymore.

This evening Yangthang Tulku Rinpoche called and spoke with Gyatrul Rinpoche and Lama Chonam. He has confirmed that his health is strong and affirmed clearly that he intends to come to Orgyen Dorje Den to bestow the Rinchen Terzod. He said that "Gyatrul Rinpoche has asked me and the students are expecting me and so this is the year! I have every intention of giving the Rinchen Terzod and fulfilling this request."

We are sorry for the postponement--but it appears our merit may actually be sufficient for the transmission to occur!We still have some logistical issues to work out, but we think we should be able to start the wangchen on Friday, November 26th.

We just heard the good news and wanted to let you all know just as soon as possible; the duration and suggested donation remain the same as was previously announced, but as we get more information regarding the starting date and the daily schedule we will let you know.

catmoon wrote:Hm. Apparently this is a cycle of hundreds of empowerments. Yoicks. No wonder it takes months.

Ok so... why is this being done? What's it all about?

It's being done because Ven. Rinpoches Gyatrul and Yangthang Tulku have a whole lot of compassion and wish to benefit beings, and to bless those interested with as much of the lineage's repertoire as they can. This is another of many steps they've taken toward that. The main benefit to those attending will be enormous generation of merit, purification of obscurations, opportunities to advance in realization, and planting seeds for the realization of the eventual benefit of themselves and all beings. Also, the empowerments will open the door for the recipients to pursue with a qualified lama the instruction in whichever of the practices they've received that they wish to or that would be suitable and especially beneficial. They will also have extensive connections established for future lives, and perhaps even some very fortunate and diligent individuals might be able to one day bestow some of what they've received and accomplished on other fortunate individuals.

Lots of excellent reasons to bestow the Rinchen Terzod and to receive it.

This evening the ODD Board of Directors had a meeting during which we called Yangthang Tulku Rinpoche. Rinpoche sounded great and he went over the timing of the Rinchen Terzod Wangchen very clearly and carefully.

He will start the Rinchen Terzod on December 1st, 2010.He will conclude the transmission on February 18th, 2011.

Rinpoche reviewed the dates with us a few times, asking "is this clear?" As a result we feel confident that these dates are as firm as possible at this time. Hopefully this slight shift in the starting date is better for most people since traveling on the Thanksgiving holiday weekend can be challenging and costly.

We will be update the website to reflect this and encourage you to start planning to attend all or as much as you are able. In future emails we will send more information--please stay tuned and thanks for your patience and flexibility!

Dhondrub wrote:Am I wrong or this the first bestowal of the Rinchen Terdzö in the western hemisphere?

No, Penor Rinpoche gave it in the States before.

Yangthang Rinpoche is one of my dearest lama, he is truely great, you will know when you meet him. Wish him long life and healthy.

Rinpoche has superpower. I got one story. Rinpoche has a small 'kutsab' found by his previous life, which is the representive of Guru Rinpoche himself. When I was in Taiwan, I joined a ceremony where Rinpoche showed this kutsab and bless everyone. Rinpoche was holding the kutsab and I sit just in front of him, among about 50 or so students. At that time I had a bit financial crisis, not too serious, but made me feel money is kind of important, so I prayed in mind: 'oh, this is guru rinpoche's representive, I can make a wish... mmm, it would be good to be rich... ' I had that thought.And Rinpoche suddenly said, not linked to the thing he was saying: 'you people don't need too much money. enough money would be good. too much money won't do good.'I felt ashamed and blushed!

Last edited by narraboth on Tue Oct 19, 2010 3:06 pm, edited 3 times in total.

catmoon wrote:Hm. Apparently this is a cycle of hundreds of empowerments.

Wow, I hope the participants give that rinpoche something nice for Christmas!

He's like the empowerment Santa Claus!

Actually there are 760-800 empowerments included. I got an index in chinese of almost all empowerments in rinchen terdzo.

I've heard that it can be a bit exhausting in the end for sitting there all day long everyday.... but hey, think about the lama, he's doing much harder work then students! and he's almost 80 I think? You American students are really lucky

Dhondrub wrote:Am I wrong or this the first bestowal of the Rinchen Terdzö in the western hemisphere?

No, Penor Rinpoche gave it in the States before.

Yangthang Rinpoche is one of my dearest lama, he is truely great, you will know when you meet him. Wish him long life and healthy.

Rinpoche has superpower. I got one story. Rinpoche has a small 'kutsab' found by his previous life, which is the representive of Guru Rinpoche himself. When I was in Taiwan, I joined a ceremony where Rinpoche showed this kutsab and bless everyone. Rinpoche was holding the kutsab and I sit just in front of him, among about 50 or so students. At that time I had a bit financial crisis, not too serious, but made me feel money is kind of important, so I prayed in mind: 'oh, this is guru rinpoche's representive, I can make a wish... mmm, it would be good to be rich... ' I had that thought.And Rinpoche suddenly said, not linked to the thing he was saying: 'you people don't need too much money. enough money would be good. too much money won't do good.'I felt ashamed and blushed!

Wow, Narraboth, so we're vajra brothers thru Yangthang Rinpoche. He is very special, and really amazing, even though the unfamiliar observer might see him outside of an empowerment and think he was just a cute, sweet, quiet old monk with a great smile. Yes, many of us American Dharma students are indeed very lucky to have such an amazing opportunity with him in the coming months. It's hard to believe the extent of the transmissions he's already given here, and now he's giving the entire Rinchen Terdzod. Blows my mind. I hope to be able to make it down there for it from time to time.

Pero wrote:Why are they wearing white scarfs or caps (or what is it actually?), on their heads?

I wonder if they're katas being used as the blindfolds that you wear at the beginning of many anuttarayoga tantra empowerments that symbolize ignorance and not seeing things the way they really are, which are removed when the recipients enter the mandala and the veils of ignorance are purified. In all the empowerments I've received that involved that part, we always used red strips of cloth, but maybe some sanghas use katas?

would be nice to see rinpoche and you there, don't know if i can make it...

Narraboth,

Yeah, it would be really cool to meet you and for you to have this amazing opportunity. You know, Gyatrul Rinpoche has asked all of his students to do Kilaya practice, or at least recite the mantra, as much as we can in order to remove obstacles related to the wangchen proceeding smoothly and to our being able to attend (and for the other obvious reasons for Dharma practice, of course), so obviously we're all doing that. So, I invite you to join this huge group of us (in spirit) practicing Kilaya with that unified intention. Who knows, maybe some doors will open for you and you'll be able to attend if you'd really like to.

Hm. I have more beginners' questions. If you take seven or eight hundred empowerments, how can one possibly keep the samaya obligations? Is the term "empowerment" being used in the same sense a gelugpa would use it?